Arizona Diamondbacks hoping to avoid another long summer

Team off to good start at Chase Field; attitude change should help in long haul

by Dan Bickley, columnist - Apr. 8, 2011 10:10 PMThe Arizona Republic

In darker times, Diamondbacks players have looked around Chase Field and felt abandoned, like forgotten children lost in the orphanage.

The bouts of self-pity are hereby over.

"I wonder why?" manager Kirk Gibson said of the team's recent attendance woes. "Who chased them out of here?"

A new season is under way, and those who aren't fooled by the artificial hope of Opening Day should be encouraged by Gibson's words. He is not interested in selling bull jerky to the masses. He understands reform doesn't begin with organizational advocacy, but with cold, hard truth.

It's the team's job to inspire the fans, not the other way around. And for what it's worth, the 2011 Diamondbacks are off to a good start.

"We're not the same team," Gibson said. "You don't see anybody loafing."

After a 13-2 win over the Reds before a sellout crowd Friday night, the Diamondbacks are 3-3. They appear much more formidable than the haggard bunch that stunk up the Cactus League. The about-face has encouraged followers who were bracing for the worst.

Again, this is the fault of the players and not Arizona's notoriously fickle fans.

For two years, the Diamondbacks have put their audience through a ringer. They served up faulty closers who snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. They featured low-wattage players who acted like it was a chore to play a game for a living. They struck out 2,827 times over two seasons, and by failing to put the ball in play, they sucked the life out of the home crowd.

Summers are hard enough in Arizona. The steering wheel burns your hands, and the electric bill drains your wallet. A bad baseball team only makes the problem worse, providing no escape from the heat.

The competitive collapse of the Diamondbacks, one of the more-successful expansion teams in history, has badly damaged their credibility. And after 189 losses in two seasons, there seems to be an attitude adjustment in the Valley.

Gibson talks about "the long haul," placing the emphasis on grit, fight and aggression. Fans want honest effort and entertainment, a team that won't waste their precious time. If you keep your hopes in check, the early returns are promising.

For instance, former Arizona State standout Willie Bloomquist has made an instant impact, fitting Gibson's prototype. He stole five bases in the first five games and began Friday's home opener by lacing a double in the gap. After a sacrifice from Kelly Johnson, he promptly scored on Justin Upton's single.

It was simple, efficient, winning baseball. And then Stephen Drew smacked an opposite-field double, and the home team jumped on a better opponent, exactly the kind of audacity the manager is craving.

Later, Upton launched a home run off the foul pole in left field, providing something we didn't see much of in 2010: fireworks exploding over the stadium before the postgame fireworks commenced.

"I'm very happy with the way we've played so far," Gibson said. "I want to play much better, but it's a process."

On paper, the 2011 Diamondbacks don't have enough talent to survive a 162-game season, a grind designed to expose all flaws. But all the tough talk from Gibson is starting to show up on the field, from a team that doesn't wilt at the first sign of pressure. The internal leadership has improved dramatically.

And when Jarrod Parker and Tyler Skaggs are ready to join the rotation (next season?), maybe this team will be ready to hoist another flag.

"In the end, when we get to where we need to be, everybody will be back," Gibson said of the team's fan base.

For now, it appears they have flushed the losing culture. After two years of mind-numbing baseball, a little competency goes a long way.